Engineering news
The final of the challenge, a competition that encourages Wallace & Gromit-style ingenuity and invention, was held at the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) in Coventry on Friday. Four teams of apprentices from the MTC and Leonardo took part in the event, which is organised by the IMechE’s Manufacturing Industries Division young members committee.
Groups had to design and build a product to automate a task in the home or garden. Participants also submitted reports including design specifications, manufacturing instructions, user manuals and a business case for mass production and sale.
The winner was AMTC Team Prodigies, who did not have far to travel thanks to their apprenticeships at the MTC. The team created the automated irrigation system, designed to help houseplant enthusiasts keep their flora hydrated. The project had a particular focus on helping disabled or elderly people who enjoy tending to plants but might struggle to reach or water them.
The system uses a moisture sensor to detect the water levels in soil. When the sensor notices water levels dropping below a certain point, it turns on a network of pipes and directly waters the soil.
“This team really nailed the brief,” said Matt Rooney, IMechE engineering policy adviser and a judge on the day. “It’s a fully automated system for the home.”
The apprentices also had a good presentation and marketing plan, he added, with another judge reportedly saying it was the team they would personally invest in.
Rooney added: “I was really impressed because when I was doing my studies I did one of these design things… and it was one of the most difficult things to do in engineering. I was glad that all the teams said they learned a lot.”
The team’s most impressive aspect was that “they really thought about a personal issue,” said IMechE trustee Dr Helen Meese. She praised the variety of projects on display despite the small number of teams. The other groups were Leonardo’s Innovate with a facial recognition cupboard lock and Praemium, who created an automated sweet dispenser. AMTC Team Cork created a linear accessibility shelf for wheelchair users.
Content published by Professional Engineering does not necessarily represent the views of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.